General service lamps are usually packaged in essentially quadratic boxes which are constructed of a blank, suitably formed with wall panels which, when folded and erected, form the box. The blank, usually, is a single unitary cardboard element which has four sidewalls, a top flap, usually supplied with an insertion or holding flap, and a bottom flap which, likewise, may have an insertion or holding flap. Additionally, a pair of dust closing flaps may be provided, one each at the side of the top cover and at the bottom, respectively. The flaps to keep out dust and the like are usually integrally formed with oppositely located sidewalls; when the box is erected and closed, they overlap.
Boxes of this kind are suitable for various types of lamps and particularly for those having screw or bayonet-type bases; if the bases of the lamps, however, are formed with projecting terminal pins, such boxes are not suitable since the lamp pins can penetrate the cardboard of the boxes and, when projecting from the boxes, can be damaged while further damaging the box by tearing of the material thereof. Consequently, neither the lamp, nor the box are sufficiently protected against damage when being transported or otherwise handled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,192 Klomp describes a box which is essentially of quadratic shape and formed of a single, unitary blank, designed to retain a reflector-type lamp with a screw-in base thereon. The box has four sidewalls which form a sleeve open at its ends. The closing structures at the ends are identical and are formed by four top cover flaps and four bottom flaps, respectively. Each one of the four top or bottom flaps, respectively, is integral with one of the sidewalls. Two oppositely located top or bottom flaps, respectively, are identical and form a pair. Both flaps of one of the top or bottom flap pair, respectively, are formed with additional fold or crease or score lines which are at an inclination with respect to the common folding edge between the respective flap and the corresponding sidewall. These creases can form, on the cover or bottom flap pairs, respectively, backwardly directed flap portions, that is, flap portions folded against themselves, which extend within the folding box in order to retain the lamp, to be placed in the box within the box structure itself. The other pair of the top or bottom flaps cover, respectively, closes the open ends at the top and bottom.
It has been found that this type of box is comparatively expensive and difficult to make.